Walter P. Chrysler Museum - A Trip Into the Past

1/32Immediately upon entering the front doors, you're greeted with a huge revolving tower with three special cars on board. During our visit, the very first '94 Viper was there, as well as the Atlantic and others.

It was 1999 when The Walter P. Chrysler Museum opened to the public-a vision that began when ground was broken for construction on November 19, 1996. The tri-leveled building covers approximately 55,000 square feet and rests on 10 acres at the southeast edge of Chrysler's North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The building's exterior of polished red granite and black glass reflects the neighboring Chrysler Technology Center. The museum looks more like an extension of the headquarters than an afterthought.

Prior to construction of the museum, the company housed its vehicle collection in numerous facilities, including the former Chrysler LLC headquarters in Highland Park, Michigan. The story we got was that at one time, the bean counters began sniffing around the warehouses to see what could be considered unnecessary overhead and potential sale items to make some quick money. That was when the father of the current museum's manager, Brandt Rosenbush, realized the possible demise of Chrysler history. Brandt's father, a Chrysler employee at the time, championed a private effort to save as much of the historical items as he could. Were it not for these measures, the museum might very well never have come to fruition. Many of the museum's historical photographs, advertisements, and footage are now held by the Chrysler Corporate Historical Collection, and the museum exhibits are the creation of Design Craftsmen, Inc., of Midland, Michigan.

The Walter P. Chrysler Museum highlights more than 65 antique, custom, and concept vehicles spanning a century. The museum's three floors of vehicles are interspersed with interactive displays and exhibits, and they all tell the story of the Chrysler Corporation and its contributions to automotive design, technology, and innovation, as well as the automobile's impact on American culture. A theater featuring three continuously running short movies and a museum store, stocked with exclusive and hard-to-find collectibles, rounds out the Museum's offerings.

The museum opens its doors several times a year for different events. You can attend frequent cruise nights or specialty events throughout the year.

If you get a chance to visit the museum, please do so, as this is the heritage of the cars we enjoy. Even if you've already had the opportunity to visit, you really need to plan a second trip because the displays are constantly changing and being updated. If you haven't seen the inside of the museum in the last couple of months, we're positive you haven't seen what's in it now. So check out www.chryslerheritage.com and plan a visit.